


Contact

by ManaBanana



Category: Naruto
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff without Plot, M/M, Sleepy Cuddles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-10
Updated: 2019-03-10
Packaged: 2019-11-14 20:48:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18059816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ManaBanana/pseuds/ManaBanana
Summary: Lee couldn't sleep. He wasn't sure why it wouldn't come and tried everything to tire himself out. One hundred laps outside the apartment. Two hundred push-ups. Four hundred sit-ups. Meditation. Breathing exercises. But to no avail. Something was keeping him awake and he couldn't seem to figure out what.





	Contact

**Author's Note:**

> I really like the idea of Gaara quietly seeking validation through physical touch. I also have very few fics written from Lee's perspective, so I wanted to write one.
> 
> Oh, and Gaara has symptoms of narcolepsy in this. *shrug*
> 
> Enjoy~

Lee couldn't sleep. He wasn't sure why it wouldn't come and tried everything to tire himself out. One hundred laps outside the apartment. Two hundred push-ups. Four hundred sit-ups. Meditation. Breathing exercises. But to no avail. Something was keeping him awake and he couldn't seem to figure out what.

“Lee…?” a voice called out from the bedroom. It was low and thick with sleep.

Lee turned toward the sound from where he lied on the couch. A smile crept onto his face as he noticed the source of the voice step through the hallway, wiping tired eyes with a hand so pale, the skin seemed to glow in the moonlight.

“Why are you awake…?”

“I am not sure,” Lee responded as he sat up straight. “You look like you have been resting very well.”

“Mm,” was all that he got.

“Gaara, love, please go back to bed,” Lee said. He noticed Gaara's hand grasping in the dark in front of him and took it in his own. He pressed a soft kiss to his knuckles. “I will be there in a minute.”

“Mmmno,” Gaara replied. He moved in the dark clumsily and flopped onto the couch against Lee. “I'm awake… I can keep you company…”

A small laugh fell from Lee's lips. He gently wrapped his arms around smaller shoulders and was greeted with a lazy, sleep-laden kiss. He cupped Gaara's cheek in one hand, and looked into his glazed expression. 

Sleep was still new to Gaara and when it hit, it hit hard. He rarely slept through the night, but some days exhaustion would take over so strongly that waking him was nearly impossible. Sometimes it would happen at inopportune moments. Kankuro thought it was Gaara's way of conveniently sneaking out of Kage meetings, but when it happened during an important dinner--and once while he and Lee were going at it in bed--Gaara's siblings and Lee grew concerned. But he claimed he felt fine. Perhaps his body was still trying to figure out how to work sleep into his routine.

Lee gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. “Okay, you can keep me company.”

Gaara gave a slightly victorious hum and leaned his head on Lee's shoulder. His dark-rimmed eyes fell shut and Lee craned his neck to let a kiss get lost in his hair.

Lee didn't get many chances to see Gaara rest, but when he did, it was incredibly sweet. His features would soften and sometimes his lips would part slightly, giving his face an innocence that made him appear younger than being a Kage made him feel.

Unfortunately Lee didn't get to see this expression just yet, as Gaara was silently brooding, still half-asleep. 

As lethal as one of Gaara's scowls may have been in the past, Lee knew he was in no real danger now. 

He also had a serious case of bedhead, so it was hard to take him seriously in the present moment. He was wearing one of Lee's old shirts, that hung slightly off his shoulder, and it made him look smaller than he was, which Lee found very endearing.

But he was brooding because he wanted something from Lee he was too afraid to ask for.

“Okay, come here,” Lee said. He gently pulled Gaara's head off of his shoulder and angled his body so he was lying down on the couch, head propped up by the armrest.

Gaara turned to look at him and blinked slowly before his half-sleeping mind registered what Lee was doing. The softest smile curved on his lips as he crawled between Lee's legs to lie against his chest, letting out a long exhale when he felt comfortable.

Lee felt the growing weight of Gaara's body on top of his as he relaxed, all of his silent worries seemingly washing away. Before he knew it, Gaara was asleep against him. Lee's arms curled around him instinctively and he rubbed soothing patterns into his back.

Gaara struggled to say it out loud, but Lee knew he loved being held. Perhaps it was born from his life without a caring parental figure. Perhaps it stemmed from the connections he never made as a child. Regardless of the reason, it made him spend a significant portion of his life growing up cold and distant. Despite everything he had been through and the leaps he had made in recovery, he still struggled to quell his anxieties and needed a lot of reassurance to truly feel like he belonged. He still had a ways to go, but Lee was more than willing to step in and help him every step of the way, if Gaara needed it.

He felt Gaara adjust in his sleep and press himself closer. He hooked his arms under Lee's shoulders and grasped softly at the fabric of his shirt, letting out another contented sigh. It made Lee smile.

Gaara loved contact, but was never quite sure how to initiate it, especially when they first got together. Lee soon learned that Gaara fell deeper in love every time Lee touched him, kissed him, or held him. The more time they spent together, the more Lee noticed Gaara's silent indications that he needed physical contact. He would scoot close to Lee on the couch, but keep his focus straight forward. Sometimes he liked to sit on the same side of the table while they shared meals so their arms would brush. He liked being the big spoon when they cuddled because it made him feel like he could protect Lee. But he really felt the best when they cuddled facing each other, resting in a tight embrace. Whether or not Gaara slept, Lee knew he at least felt safe and important while they were wrapped in each other's warmth.

This was one of those rare moments where he finally could sleep. Lying on Lee's chest, looking soft and beautiful as ever.

Lee felt his eyes prickling with oncoming tears, but did his best to blink them away. They were born of happiness and appreciation, but he knew Gaara worried when he saw tears of any kind on Lee. Sometimes he couldn't help it. He loved Gaara more than his training exercises and long-winded metaphors could ever keep up with. Gaara meant the world to him. He made him feel strong. And important. And safe.

Lee held on tight as an unconscious Gaara buried deeper into his chest once more. Lee let his eyes shut and finally managed to drift off.

As much as Gaara needed reassurance and contact to make him feel wanted, Lee felt his best when Gaara was actively seeking him out. Because when it came down to it, Lee needed a similar reassurance to feel like he was enough for somebody. 

And Gaara helped him feel like it was possible.


End file.
